The National tribune., 1887-05-26

2
live had to explain his failure 10 deliver them
1.-The best he might, but Mr.. PinkertoH let all
lothen 20 through.
1 Upon his arrival in Richmond the detect
1--we would deliver his bundles around where
ifher belonged. often TO Jell Davis and other
lof the Confederate leaders i'm person, and
hhns be enabled 10 pick MP much valuable
information He would give notice thai he
awould leave with return mail on certain
t5av. and usually took with him a hundred
sDr more letters, which he had much difficulty
YIN eonoealing. Usually The detectives had
n great deal more difficulty i'm getting along
hmone the Union soldiers than among the
srebels. and were repeatedly arrested and
hheir packages taken from them, but the
l0TdoE were 10 send al persons
SUSPECTED OF BEING SPIES
no headquarters at once and there were se-
icret signs and tokens known only 10 officers
lof high rank which, with the passes nom
ll.incoln and Others they bore, got them out
i0f trouble immediately.
, The first thing a detective mail-carrier did
upon reaching Union territory, was 10 get
10 PinkertOn's headquarters as soon as
possible. where his sack was opened, and all
lthe letters read and copied by clerks, who
reported their contents to headquarters.
THE Confederate AUTHORITIES never knew
lhat Allan pinkertOn was the Superintond-
TENT of their contraband mail service during
lthe war. or that all the letters they sent 10
Their sympathizers aud agents in the North
lwere opened and read BY him. The method
lof opening them was simple; all that was
Unnecessary was TO hold the envelope over the
inozzle oil a teakettle, and the mucllage would
is0ften; or, ii they were sealed, ii was easy,
lwith very sharp knife blade as thin as
iit could be made, to cut under them. Not
ionly were these letters read, but copies Of
fthem Were preserved, and persons who were
lengaged in betraying the Union movements
20 the enemy, may he sure that m the Pink
lertons' Office their correspondence ls on Tile.
iSome OF these documents would make excel
lent campaign material-ln Indiana for eX-
sample
But as a rule, the women in the North
who sympathized with the rebellion were Of
tcreater service to the Confederate authori-
ifies than the men. They were more jealous,
AmOre reckless,
AND MORE INDUSTRIOUS.
lThere were several women in high position,
particularly in Washington and Baltimore,
lwhO made a business Of ascertaining what
was going on in the Cabinet, in the War
department or at the Headquarters of the
\ Army. and sent the information regularly TO
fRichmond by the pinlzerton Mail Service.
fIhey were prominent IN society, were re-
spected and had the confidence OF the Off
\ cials from whom they got their information
but Pinkerton had his eye apOn them, and
I they did nothing be failed 10 see.
On The other hand, some Of the most use-
ful detectives were women. There was one
I'm particular and she is still living, who
became very intimate with JET Davis and
saw him whenever she chose. He never
| suspected her Of being a spy, not even after
( tie war, when she saw him for the last time
mt Fortress Monroe. lie used to wonder how
\ she managed TO 20 back and forth TO Wash
I ington SO often, when other women could
not, but never lost his confidence in her
1 fidelity 10 the Confederate cause.
The best and most effective man in every
respect that Pinkerion had was Timothy
Webster, who was hung in Richmond by the
rebels having been betrayed. He went back
and forth every week OF SO, carried personal
letters for Davis and other big rebels, saw
them frequently, had authority to call
. them up any time Of night and enter tbeI
rooms any time Of day. he never got hall
80 near Gen. Grant
As HE DID TO DAVIS,
and, therefore, the rebels had no mercy
when they detected his deception.
III came about In this way: Webster
wanted help in Richmond. He was SO oc
cupicd IN maintaining his intimacy with th,
Confederate leaders that il became necessary
20 put a substitute on the mail route, and !
man by the name of Dan Scully who is nov
employed under the city Government at Chi
cago, wasscnt down 20 assist him. Scully GO
caught and was sentenced TO be hanged at
O'Clock in the morning When miaBightcame
and he was certain that he was 10 die, he
being Catholic, sent for priest to shriye him
and when one came told the entire story
involving Webster and All the other Union
detectives in Richmond. The priest IL
whom Scully confessed was a detective il
disgnise. and the next morning al o'clOcl
Webster instead Of Scully was hanged. Tn
latter was pardoned on account Of The inf0r
nation he had given, which enabled th
rebels 10 stop the leaks and compelled Pink
erton 20 make an entire reorganization O
his service